Critics feared it would plunge the Middle East into a wider war. That doomsday scenario has not come to pass, at least for now: Iran made only symbolic retaliation against America; soon after, a ceasefire ended the fighting between Iran and Israel.

Following the successful degradation of Iran’s nuclear program and military leadership by recent Israeli and US strikes, Israel is emerging as the dominant military power in the Middle East. -With its primary existential threat from Tehran neutralized and Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas severely weakened,

Israel’s military success against Iran undermines one incentive for Saudi normalization and raises concerns about its growing power.